Practically oozing charm and confidence, Isabella Charlton takes to the stage and begins to regale the audience with her less-than-conventional life which starts, as the title suggests, when her father had an affair with the nanny. Or rather, the genesis of her life started with that affair, as her mother was eight months pregnant at the time, and the separation led to Isabella growing up in Hong Kong after protracted court cases.
That alone would be enough material to make a show, but Isabella is in the fortunate (?) position to be the child of 'famous' parents. You see, her parents were both lawyers, and her father a barrister who was really good at annoying people. As such, Isabella has acquired the transcript of the evidence of her father’s transgressions, which is an odd thing to own – and even odder to act out!
But the show is more than just a laugh about infidelity. It’s really a show about generational trauma, and the impact your childhood can have on your own self-perception and your relationships. Charlton largely nails the landing on that balancing act, only occasionally allowing a joke or bit to overstay its welcome. Audience interaction was strong, although I feel some sympathy for the young woman who was put very much on the spot – probably awful for her but I always cherish the schadenfreude of those kinds of situations.
Charlton is a naturally funny and charismatic performer, and effectively uses the occasional vocal fry to present an innocent and slightly naive personality. However, there's no hiding her upbringing, her intellect, and her excellent wit.
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